Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols Sunday at St. Pauls Episcopal Church

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, December 7, 2005

St. Pauls Episcopal Church will present its annual Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols at 4 p.m. Sunday. The free-will offering at this event will go to Clothe-a-Child. Following the service, there will be a reception in the parish hall, located in the undercroft of the church.

Lessons and Carols is an Anglican tradition that is several hundred years old. It is a service of scripture readings and music proclaiming the coming of the Messiah, first to the Israelites and after the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the anticipation of his coming again. Community leaders will read the eight lessons. This year the readers are Kent Tibbits, Huron County Sheriff, Tamara Richardson, director of Huron Countys SafePlace, June Bowerbank, Clothe-a-Child, Tawny Kanaby, student at Bad Axe High School; John Bodis, Bad Axe Police Chief, Mimi Herrington, Bad Axe Library, Rev. Raymond Orth, retired pastor of Cross Lutheran Church and Tammy DeBoer, Bad Axe City Council. Usually the hymn selections between the readings are sung by the congregation present.

That tradition will continue this year, but in addition, three local musicians will be participating in the service. They are Claude Mestack on his saxophone and the voices of Lillian Aiello and Jerry Bowron in duets and solos. St. Pauls own Alan Majeska will be at the organ.

According to Rev. Elsa Pressentin, rector of St. Pauls, Advent is not only a time of preparation for the coming of Christ at his birth but also an acknowledgment that Christians anticipate Christs second coming. She adds that Advent also celebrates the coming of God into our daily lives. Advent is a good time for spiritual renewal and for focusing on the whole promise of salvation, says Rev. Elsa. The service of Lessons and Carols provides a time to focus on the real meaning of the season.